Cargo handling apparatus



Dec. 6, 1949 N. P. E. ANDERSEN 2,490,609

CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 7, 1945 5 She'ets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

| w/Zawam BY M67247? Dec. 6, 1949 N. P. E. ANDERSEN CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1945 MM H N u N E 7 A Ma m a M A \w N\ \v\ m Q N N.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 6, 1949 N. P. E. ANDERSEN CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS Fi'led May 7, 1945 INVENTOR.

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N E s R E D N A E P N CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets$heet 4 Filed May '7, 1945 INVENTOR. WM 6% am Deco 6, 1949 N. P. E. ANDERSEN 2,490,609

' CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 7, 1945 5 'Sheets-Sheet 5 [Ami/4 7%! ATTORNL'Y Patented Dec. 6, 1949 2,490,609 CARGO HANDLING APPARATUS Nils Peter Erik Andersen, signor to Harnischfeger Elm Grove, Wis., as- Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 7, 1945, Serial No. 592,360

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a ship and cargo loading and unloading apparatus and it resides more specifically in an arrangement above the deck of the ship of an elevatable table carrying fore and aft runways which are spanned by a thwartship beam support capable of moving along said runways and bearing a longitudinally shiftable thwartship beam adapted to be normally stowed in an inboard position but capable of being extended beyond the side of the ship. The extendable beam is provided with hoisting means capable of traveling lengthwise of said beam and capable by reason thereof of lifting and carrying cargo to and from the hold of the ship to a point beyond the side. The parts above the deck, also, sometimes may be mounted to travel as a whole in a fore and aft direction upon rails provided therefor upon the deck of the ship enabling the apparatus to be moved to serve a plurality of hatches spaced in a fore and aft direction.

Heretofore in the art various forms of apparatuses have been provided or proposed for liftin cargo to and from the hold of a ship by means of traveling hoists carried on overhead runways. In order to overcome the objection that such elevated structures adversely aifect the center of gravity of the vessel, interfere with the clear vision of the operating personnel and unduly expose complex mechanical parts to the elements, provision has been made in some of the known arrangements for lowering and stowing such equipment close to the deck while the ship is at sea. In such apparatuses, however, particularly where provision for the lowering of elevated parts has been made it has been difiicult to avoid the movement of large and heavy elements of the structure in order to transport the load in 3e manner desired, thus consuming excessive power and slowing down the over-all operation of the apparatus. These latter objections are overcome in the apparatus of this invention and the facile control and economy characteristic of the overhead traveling type of hoisting mechanism is made available in a form in which a minimum of structure need be moved with the load and in which stowage close to the deck can be accomplished if desired.

This invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is set forth by way of illustration and not of limitation one form in which the apparatus of this invention may be embodied.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is an end view in elevation and in section of one form of the apparatus of this invention as indicated at ll in Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation and partly in section of the part of the apparatus appearing in Fig. 1 which extends above the deck of the vessel;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus appearing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view in elevation showing the apparatus appearing in Fig 1 in stowed position close to the deck of the ship;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view in end elevation of one of the table supporting legs in elevated pisition;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view in side elevation and partly in section of one end of the beam support and its supporting truck viewed as indicated at 6-6 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view in side elevation and partly in section viewed as indicated at 1-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed top plan view partly in section viewed as indicated at 88 in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary view in end elevation and in section viewed through the plane 9-9 indicated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, it will be seen that the apparatus as shown comprises a ship having a hull l upon which fore and aft rails 2 and 3 are mounted to straddle hatches,

t and 5. Carried upon the rails 2 and 3 are four self-propelled trucks 6 disposed in opposite pairs. Extending upwardly from each of the trucks 6 as shown and pivotally attached thereto at their lower ends are four elevating legs, I.

The upper ends of the legs I engage and support a horizontal rectangular frame or table 8. The engagement of the legs 1 with the table 8 is through the medium of rollers 9 rotatably carried upon trunnion shafts Ill mounted on the upper ends of legs I as shown more clearly and in detail in Fig. 9. Tracks H secured beneath thetable 8 are positioned to provide a rolling surface against which the rollers 9 may bear.

Pivotally engaging the legs I midway of the length thereof are swing links l2 which are pivotally pendent from pivot pins [3 mounted close to the corners of the table 8. Also joined to the point of pivotal connection between the links l2 and the legs 1 and extending diagonally upwardly therefrom are diagonal braces I4 which.

pivotally join with the table 8 through pivot mountings i5 disposed in axial alignment with the respective pivots l3.

As appears more clearly in Figs. 2 and 9 the trunnion shafts are pierced by an internally threaded hole to form a nut which is in threaded engagement with horizontal screws IS the inner ends of which are carried upon bearings l1 and the outer ends of which pass through bearings l8 which are disposed at the level of the pivots |3 between the bifurcated ends of the links l2.

Carried upon the outer ends of the screws l5 are worm gears l9 disposed in meshing engagement with worm pinions 2|! screwed to shafts 2|. The shafts 2| in turn are drivingly connected with motors 22 in the manner shown so that the motors 2.2 may be operated to cause the screws it to be rotated. Assum ng the apparatus to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, if it is desired to lower the table 8 the motors 22 are started and the screws |6 turned in appropriate direction to cause the upper ends of the legs I to be moved toward the center of the table. As this movement takes place the parts approach the position diagrammatically indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2. By reversing the motors 22 the motion of the apparatus may be reversed causing the parts to approach the position shown in the full lines in Fig. 2. Due to the geometry of the parts as shown this movement may take place without any displacement of the trucks 6 but if desired, the relative lengths of the legs I and the links 12 may be altered in any particular design and if the geometry of the same is thus altered, vertical movement of the table 8 may entail some displacement of the trucks 6 which displacement under certain circumstances may not be objectionable.

The table 8 is made up of fore and aft members 23 and 25 which are joined by cross members 25 and 26. Disposed on the upper faces of the fore and aft table members 23 and 24 are runways 21 and 2c in substantially parallel relationship. Mounted to travel lengthwise of the runway 21 in rolling engagement therewith is a selfpropelled end truck 29 which serves to. support one end of a traveling beam support 30. Mounted in similar fashion upon the runway 28 is an end truck 3| which carries the opposite end of the beam support 30.

As appears more clearly in Fig. 1 the beam support 33 is disposed substantially at the level of the table members 23 and 2.4 while the ends thereof rise in the form of goosenecks 32 and 33 which extend over and engage the trucks 23 and 3| respectively. In order to accommodate for minor departures from the horizontal of the table 8 and to increase the scope of accommodation of the apparatus as a whole to the requirements of load handling, engaging means between the goosenecks 32 and 33 and the respective trucks 29 and 3| are provided as shown in greater detail in Figs. 6, I and 8. With particular reference to Fig. 6 it may be seen that the gooseneck 32 is provided with such engaging means in the form of a rocker insert 34 the lower face of which is arcuate in form and is disposed in rocking engagement with the upper surface of the truck 29. Extending upwardly through the insert 34 is an upwardly and laterally flaring hole through which a locating pin 35 rigidly secured in the truck 29 extends. The opposite gooseneck 33 in similar fashion and through a rocker insert 36 as shown more clear'y in Fig. 7 engages the upper surface of truck 3| in a manner which also permits rocking movement. The insert 36 also is pier ed by an upwardly and laterally flaring hole but in this case said hole is also elongated in the direction of the length of the beam support 30. Extending upwardly through the hole in insert 38 is a pin 3'! rotatably secured in the truck 3|.

By reason of the relationship of parts described the beam support 30 is capable of a limited rocking movement thus permitting it to assume whatever position gravity may require. Furthermore, the beam support 3|! can swing in a horizontal plane with respect to the trucks 29 and 3| which permits a limited departure on the part of the beam support 39 from a position perpendicular to the rails 21 and 28. The extent of this departure on either side of the mid perpendicular position is indicated approximately by the diverging broken lines appearing in Fig. 3.

In order to insure the maintenance of the truck 3| in upright position in spite of any adjusting movement which may take place, a fulcrum arm 38 is rigidly secured to the pin 31, and extends through the gooseneck 33 to a loose sliding fit within an internal member 39 of a spherical joint 40. The fulcrum arm 33 is free to. slide with considerable play within internal member 39 and to rotate therein when either lengthwise adjusting or rocking movement takes place. At the same time pin 3'! is mounted to rotate in the truck 3| thus permitting relative horizontal swinging movement between the truck 3| and the beam support 30. The substantially upright position of truck 3|, however, is positively preserved by reason of the rigid connection between the fulcrum arm 38 and the pin 31.

Secured to the sides of the beam support 30 and extending downwardly therefrom are a plurality of roller mounting brackets 4| each of which carries at its lower end an inwardly facing vertically disposed guiding roller 42 and a downwardly facing horizontally disposed guiding roller 43. The brackets 4| are secured to the opposite sides of the beam support 30 in pairs with respective rollers thereof in horizontal and longitudinal alignment as appears more clearly in Fig. 2.

Mounted for endw-ise movement in engagement with the rollers 42 and 43 is a shiftable beam 44 provided with upper and lower vertically acting rails disposed in pairs on opposite sides thereof to furnish slots within which the rollers 42 may be received. The beam 44 further is provided with horizontally acting rails along its extreme lower outer margin disposed for rolling engagement with rollers 43. By reason of the method of mounting described, the beam 44 be shifted from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 through an intermediate position appearing in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position appearing in Fig. l and means for causing and controlling such shifting movement are provided. These means are diagrammatically depicted in Fig. 1 only wherein a beam shifting motor 4%: is shown mounted on the beam support, 30 the same being connected by transmission gearing 48 with a rotatably mounted gear 41. The gear 4-1 in turn is arranged for meshing engagement with a rack 43 secured to the top of beam 44- and running lengthwise thereof substantially throughout its length as app ars in Fig. 2.

Within the beam 44 and running substantially throughout its length is a downwardly facing open slot flanked on either side by rails 49. Supported upon and in rolling engagement with the rails 49 is a hoisting trolley 50 adapted to be moved throughout the length of the beam 44 by means of cable 5| appearing in Fig. l. The two ends of the cable 5| are secured to a winch drum 52 driven by a motor 53 shown in Fig. 1 only, so that as one end is wound in, the opposite end is paid out. The two ends of cable 5| pass to and in opposite directions about a pair of sheaves pivotally mounted near the center of beam support 30 as indicated at 54 and from thence pass outwardly to the opposite ends of the beam 44 about sheaves there-provided and thence inwardly to points of attachment with the trolley 50.

Extending downwardly from the trolley 50 is a hoisting line 55 which engages a hoisting block 56 and serves as a load lifting means. The hoisting line 55 passes about opposite sides of a pair of sheaves rotatably mounted in the trolley 50 and from thence in opposite directions outwardly to the opposite ends of the beam 44 where it passes upwardly around sheaves there-provided for that purpose and thence inwardly toward a pair of sheaves indicated in dotted lines pivotally mounted near the center of beam support 30 and designated by the numeral 51. From the sheaves 5'! to two ends of the line 55 pass (one of them by way of an idler pulley 58) to engagement with a winch drum 59 for simultaneous winding thereon. The winding drum 59 is provided with driving means 60 for its operation shown in Fig. 1 only. The specific details of the beam shifting mechanism and of the trolley moving and hoisting mechanism above described are not claimed herein and are indicated in the main only in Fig. 1, since these means are similar in principle to corresponding mechanism more fully described in my co-pending application Serial Number 557,873, for Cargo hoist, filed October 9, 1944 and now Patent No. 2,456,- 104 granted Dec. 14, 1948.

The trucks 6 at the lower ends of the supporting legs 1 are shown provided with independent driving motors Bl which may be connected if desired to be driven in unison by well known mechanical or electrical means adapted for this purpose but not shown. By the operation of the motors 6| the entire apparatus above the deck may be moved fore and aft for the serving of other hatches such as 4' and 5 as shown in Fig. 3. The trucks 29 and 3| in similar manner are provided with independent driving motors 62 and 53 which can be electrically connected to be driven in unison or they may be connected for independent driving for the purpose of displacing the beam support 30 from perpendicular position as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3.

A control station, not shown, may be placed in any convenient location desired for controlling the various operating motors of the apparatus.

In the case of a typical normal operation the apparatus will initially be found stowed in the position depicted in Fig. 4 with the parts in lowered position and with the shiftable beam 44 disposed in an inboard position. To place the apparatus in use the motors 22 may be operated to cause the upper ends of the legs 1 to be moved outwardly toward the corners of the table 8. In so doing the apparatus moves from the position indicated by broken lines to the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. The shiftable beam 44 may then be extended beyond either side of the ship desired as shown, for example, in full lines in Fig. 1 such movement being accomplished by apon the rails 21 and propriate operation of the motor 45'. Trucks 29 and 3| may then be moved by operation of motors 62 and B3 to the fore and aft position which is immediately above the load to be lifted. Trolley 50, by operation of driving means 53, may then be brought to a position in the thwartship direction which is substantially above the load to be lifted. Through operation of the winch 59 the block 55 may then be caused to descend for connection with the load to be lifted. Lifting and traversing may then be caused to take place by reverse operation of the winch 59 and by shifting of the trolley 55 through operation of the driving means 53.

- It will be observed that in the lifting and carrying of the load no translatory movement of any crane part other than the trolley 50 and appendages need be involved since all other major parts of the apparatus remain stationary during such operation. Because of the relatively insignificant inertia of parts to be moved with the load, economical and rapid operation is facilitated in the case of all simple lifting and thwartship traversing movement of the load which constitutes the major part of all load movement which takes place in the loading and unloading of a vessel. However, if the load is to be traversed in the fore and aft direction as well as in the thwartship direction this can also be accomplished by simple fore and aft movement of the beam support 39. It is only when such fore and aft movement exceeds the scope permitted by the length of the rails 2! and 28 that it is necessary to move the entire apparatus as a whole and such movement is required relatively infrequently.

If by reason of the load condition of the vessel or otherwise, there is a substantial departure from the horizontal of the rails '2 and 3 the apparatus readily adapts itself thereto under the influence of gravity by reason of the rocking connection between the beam support 30 and the trucks 29 and 3!. In this way undue loading of the guiding rollers 42 and 43 and the brackets 4| is avoided and the full rated lifting capacity of the apparatus is available under a wide range of conditions. If for any reason a minor fore and aft traversing movement of the load is required the same may be accomplished by movement of the beam support 39 from its perpendicular position as above described and when thus obliquely disposed load may be traversed both thwartship and fore and aft simultaneously without translatory movement of any part of the apparatus other than the trolley 59. Such faculty may be of substantial convenience at times where dock structures adjacent the vessel occupy interfering positions. The apparatus is furthermore capable of lifting load from beyond one side of the vessel and transferring it to a point beyond the opposite side since the shiftable beam 44 may be shifted independently both of the hoisting movement of the load and of the traversing movement of the trolley 59 all such movements being capable of being carried on simultaneously throughout the full scope of their limits of travel.

As shown in Fig. 2 the assembly carried by the trucks 29 and 3|- may be shifted fore and aft 28 at will or if desired, as shown by dotted lines, two such assemblies may be carried upon the rails 21 and 28 to increase the capacity both as to total weight which may be lifted and the rate at which load may be handled.

I claim:

1. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel runways extending fore and aft, supporting and elevating means mounted on the deck of said ship and adapted to support and alter the elevation of said table, a beam support extending between and mounted upon said table runways in thwartship position adapted for fore and aft movement thereon, an extendable beam shiitably disposed with respect to and carried by said beam support and adapted for thwartship shifting movement to and from an outboard position extending beyond the side of said ship and aretracted inboard position and hoisting means extendable downwardly from said shiitable beam adapted for thwartship movement lengthwise with respect to said beam whereby load may be lifted to and from a position within the rails oi said ship and a position beyond the'side of the same.

2. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel runways extending fore and aft, supporting and elevating means mounted on the deck of said ship adapted to support and alter the elevation of said table, a beam support extending between and mounted upon said table runways in thwartship position adapted for fore and aft movement thereon, connecting means at the juncture between the ends of said beam support and said trucks, said connecting means being adapted to permit a limited rocking movement between said beam support and said trucks, an extendable beam shiitably disposed with respect to and carried by said beam support and adapted for tliwartship shifting movement to and from an outboard position extending beyond the side of said ship and a retracted inboard position, and hoisting means extendable downwardly from Said shiftable beam adapted for thwartship movement lengthwise with respect to said beam whereby load may be lifted to and from a position within the rails of said ship and a position beyond the side of the same.

3. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel runways extending fore and aft, supporting and elevating means mounted on the deck of said ship adapted to support and alter the elevation of said table, a beam support extending between and mounted upon said table runways in thwartship position adapted for fore and aft movement thereon, connecting means at the juncture between the ends of said beam support and said trucks, said connecting means being adapted to permit a limited rocking movement between said beam support and said trucks and adapted to permit a limited pivotal movement between said beam support and said trucks in a horizontal plane whereby said beam support is free to adjust to a vertical position and permitted a limited departure from a position perpendicular to said runways, an extendable beam shiftably disposed with respect to and carried by said beam support and adapted for thwartship shifting movement to and from an outboard position extending beyond the side of said ship and a retracted inboard position, and hoisting means extendable downwardly from said shiftable beam adapted for thwartship movement lengthwise with respect to said-beam whereby load may be lifted to and from a position with- 8 in the rails of said ship and a position beyond the side of the same.

4. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel runways extending fore and aft, supporting and elevating means mounted on the deck of said ship adapted to support and alter the elevation of said table, a beam support extending between and mounted upon said table runways in thwartsh-ip position adapted for fore and aft movement thereon, an arcuate bearer beneath each end of said beam support in rocking engagement with said trucks respectively, a pivot pin on one of said trucks extending upwardly through the corresponding arcuate bearer of said beam support through an upwardly laterally flaring opening therein, a pivot pin on the other of said trucks extending upwardly through the other arcuate bearer through an upwardly laterally flaring elongated opening therein the direction of elongation of opening being longitudinal with respect to said beam support, an extendable beam shiftably disposed with respect to and carried by said beam support and adapted for thwartship shifting movement to and from an outboard position extending beyond the side of said ship and a retracted inboard position, and hoisting means extendable downwardly from said shiitable beam adapted for thwartship movement lengthwise with respect to said beam whereby load may be lifted to and from a position within the rails of said ship and a position beyond the side of the same.

5. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel runways extending fore and aft, a plurality of supporting and elevating legs each having an upper end in horizontally movable engagement with respect to said table and a lower end in pivotal engagement with a base support mounted on said deck, a link for each of said legs having an upper end in pivotal engagement with said table and a lower end in pivotal engagement with the leg corresponding thereto at a point intermediate the ends of said legs, means for moving the upper end of each of said legs away from and toward the upper pivoted end of the link corresponding thereto, a beam support extending between and mounted upon said table runways in thwartship position adapted for fore and aft movement thereon, an extendable beam shiftably disposed with respect to and carried by said beam support and adapted for thwartship shifting movement to and from an outboard position extending beyond the side of said ship and a retracted inboard position, and hoisting means extendable downwardly from said shiftable beam adapted for thwartsh p' movement lengthwise with respect to said beam whereby load may be lifted to and from a position within the rails of said ship and a position beyond the side of the same.

.6. In a cargo loading and unloading apparatus the combination with a ship of a substantially horizontal table disposed above the deck of said ship and provided with a pair of spaced parallel nunways extending fore and aft, a plurality of supporting and elevating legs each having an up er end in horizontally movable engagement with and with respect to said table and a lower end in pivotal engagement with a base support mounted on said deck, a link for each of said legs having an upper end in pivotal engagement with said table and a lower end in pivotal engagement with the leg corresponding thereto at a point intermediate the ends of said leg, a bracing strut for each of said legs having an upper end in pivotal engagement with said table at a point spaced from and in axial alignment with the point of pivotal attachment of the link corresponding thereto and a lower end in pivotal engagement with said leg, and a horizontally disposed screw for each of said legs rotatably mounted with respect to said table adapted to engage and move the upper end of the leg corresponding thereto toward and away from the upper pivoted end of 15 10 the link corresponding thereto, and hoisting means mounted on said table runways for movement thereover and extending downwardly to engage a load to be lifted.

NILS PETER, ERIK ANDERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 305,736 Burns Sept. 30, 1884 1,428,809 Zimmerman Sept. 12, 1922 

